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Letter to the editor

Column

Hey, buddy, watch who you call an 'elector'

By HOWARD TROXLER
Published September 18, 2007

Did you ever hear of the famous speech given by a Florida politician where he used a lot of big words to fool the ignorant voters?

Part of the speech supposedly went:

Are you aware that (my opponent) is known all over Washington as a shameless extrovert? Not only that, but this man is reliably reported to practice nepotism with his sister-in-law, and he has a sister who was once a thespian in wicked New York.

Actually, the "speech" was a hoax and a parody. But it became a legend.

I thought of this as I read this letter being sent to Florida voters who signed the petition for the Hometown Democracy amendment.

The letter boils down to four points:

(1) You're stupid for signing.

(2) You've been tricked by Bad Guys.

(3) You'll be punished for it.

(4) So sign this enclosed form to revoke your signature.

Hometown Democracy is a citizen campaign to change our state Constitution in the 2008 election.

The idea is for local voters, not elected officials, to make major growth decisions.

The letter in question tries to scare petition signers into changing their minds. It bears the letterhead and signature of John Thrasher, a former speaker of the state House.

As my colleague Steve Bousquet noted Saturday, Thrasher's letter fails to mention one teeny, tiny detail:

These days, he's a lobbyist with Southern Strategy Group, which represents pro-growth businesses such as Disney, Associated Industries of Florida (the outfit running this signature revocation drive) and the St. Joe Co.

First, Thrasher's letter says, the voter is stupid or a sucker for signing the petition, fooled by "deceptive" tactics.

Thrasher writes that Hometown Democracy is the product of "special interests" with "slick lawyers."

That's correct. The lobbyist for growth is saying that people who want to restrict growth are a "special interest."

Finally, his letter reaches a point of classic, "thespian" absurdity:

If you read their proposed constitutional amendment ... you will also notice that it turns all power over use of Florida's land to certain "electors."

Guess who the "electors" will be. The "special interests" and their slick lawyers will rig the system to put our future in the hands of their cronies. Their "electors" will decide our fate and the fate of Florida.

Uh...

"Electors" means "the voters."

Good grief!

As I keep saying, there is an interesting debate to be had on Hometown Democracy.

But I think that Associated Industries and other opponents don't want one.

Let's scare people instead. Let's tell 'em taxes will go up, their kids will hate them, and more hurricanes will hit.

Oh, and let's also tell 'em that an evil, mysterious group known as the "electors" will be running Florida. Surely they won't stand for that.

* * *

Today is live chat day on TroxBlog. From noon to 1 p.m. I'll be taking reader comments and questions about current events in Florida and the Tampa Bay area.

Click on the "Blogs" link at www.tampabay.com, or use the address http:blogs.tampabay.com/troxler.

[Last modified September 17, 2007, 23:32:33]